Imaging device adaptor

Abstract

Aspects relate to an adaptor for use with an imaging device comprising: an elongate housing configured to be mountable over a lens of the imaging device, wherein the elongate housing comprises a first end having a first opening and a second end having a second opening; a light source positioned within the housing towards the first end; and a diffuser positioned within the housing between the light source and the second opening to provide diffuse light to the second opening. The adaptor is particularly specialised for enabling capture of high quality, repeatable, focused images of a surface of a subject.

1 . An adaptor for use with an imaging device comprising:
 an elongate housing configured to be mountable over a lens of the imaging device, wherein the elongate housing comprises a first end having a first opening and a second end having a second opening;   a light source positioned within the elongate housing towards the first end; and   a diffuser positioned within the elongate housing between the light source and the second opening to provide diffuse light to the second opening.   
     
     
         2 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptor is dimensioned to maintain a minimum distance between the imaging device and a sample to be imaged, wherein the minimum distance is approximately equal to a minimum focal length of the imaging device. 
     
     
         3 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate housing further comprises an inner surface configured to reflect visible light. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The adaptor of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the inner surface configured to reflect visible light provides a diffuse reflection. 
     
     
         6 . The adaptor of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the inner surface between the first opening and the second opening comprises a taper having a bottleneck shape or a curved frustoconical shape. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The adaptor of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the inner surface is white and comprises a textured finish, wherein the textured finish comprises a ridged, sandblasted, or beadblasted finish. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate housing is opaque. 
     
     
         11 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein;
 the diffuser extends between the first opening and the second opening; and   the diffuser comprises a pipe located coaxially within the elongate housing.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser comprises a translucent portion such that light passing through the translucent portion is scattered to produce a diffuse light. 
     
     
         14 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a ring light, the ring light comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced light sources that are individually controllable. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The adaptor of  claim 1 , wherein the adaptor further comprises an interface cuff configured to be removably couplable to the second end of the elongate housing over the second opening. 
     
     
         19 . The adaptor according to  claim 18 , wherein the interface cuff is configured to be directly engageable to a sample to be imaged such that the imaging device and the sample to be imaged are maintained at a minimum distance. 
     
     
         20 . The adaptor according to  claim 18 , wherein the interface cuff is configured to be directly engageable with a holder configured to hold a sample to be imaged such that the imaging device and the sample to be imaged are maintained at a minimum distance. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The adaptor according to  claim 18 , wherein the interface cuff comprises a curved portion configured to present a curved surface to the imaging device. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The adaptor according to  claim 1 , further comprising a focus ring supported over the second opening, wherein the focus ring comprises at least one focusing feature extending radially within the focus ring to define a focus plane, wherein the at least one focusing feature is configured to allow the imaging device to focus on the focus plane, and wherein in use the at least one focusing feature is positioned adjacent to a sample to be imaged. 
     
     
         25 . The adaptor according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one focusing feature comprises at least one of: a plurality of bristles, a color different from the elongate housing, or a plurality of focusing features. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The adaptor according to  claim 25 , wherein a first feature of the plurality of focusing features is a first color and a second feature of the plurality of focusing features is a second color, the second color being different from the first color. 
     
     
         30 . The adaptor according to  claim 24 , further comprising a plug configured to couple the elongate housing to a sample holder, wherein the focus ring is slidably supported by the plug. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The adaptor according to  claim 30 , wherein the plug comprises:
 a first locking formation configured to mate with a first corresponding locking formation defined by the elongate housing such that the elongate housing is rotationally locked relative to the plug when the first locking formation is mated with the first corresponding locking formation; and   a second locking formation configured to mate with a second corresponding locking formation defined by the sample holder such that the adaptor is rotationally locked relative to the sample holder when the second locking formation is mated with the second corresponding locking formation.   
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method of providing an adaptor for an imaging device, comprising:
 configuring an elongate housing to be mountable over a lens of the imaging device, wherein the elongate housing comprises a first end having a first opening and a second end having a second opening;
 positioning a light source within the elongate housing towards the first end; 
 positioning a diffuser within the elongate housing between the light source and the second opening to provide diffuse light to the second opening.